Release of Core Version

An early version of the Arches source code was released at the end of January 2013 for interested information technology specialists to evaluate and provide feedback. In October 2013 a more advanced version of the system was released that will be ready for heritage organizations to evaluate, customize and deploy. Institutions will be able to download the software, including its open sourced code that may be freely modified, as well as related documentation at no cost. In releasing the core version of Arches, GCI-WMF aim to provide a solid foundation upon which adopting institutions may build a localized system to meet their particular needs.

Institutions adopting the system will likely need to customize the software to address their specific geographic, cultural, and administrative contexts. System customization will require some expertise in the open source tools incorporated in the system and an in-depth understanding of GIS and data management. In order to comply with standards and ensure consistency, the use of Arches may require that legacy data be processed before being incorporated in the new system.